Home Office

EU Immigration

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the workings of the EU–Turkish joint action plan to stem migrant flows, agreed in October 2015.

Lord Bates: The UK supports the Turkey-EU Action Plan which was signed on 29 November during a broader summit between the EU and Turkey.Implementation will not be straightforward given the volume of numbers and the determination of individuals to cross land and sea borders. The Action Plan is just one aspect of efforts to respond to the migration crisis seen in the Mediterranean last year. We have a strong relationship with Turkey on many security issues (especially migration) and this Action Plan will complement bilateral activity, not impinge on it.

Proof of Identity

Earl Attlee: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what classes of person can (1) verify identity in relation to a passport application; (2) verify the identity of a driving licence applicant; and (3) certify the character of an applicant for a firearms certificate.

Lord Bates: The passport application and issuing process is subject to a number of checks to confirm identity, including the requirement on the applicant to provide a countersignatory. The criteria for a countersignatory are set out in the guidance published at www.gov.uk and lists examples for recognised professions.Information on who may act as a referee for an applicant for a firearms certificate is detailed in paragraphs 10.9-10.19 of the Guide on Firearms Licensing Law 2015. Information on those whom may act as a referee for an applicant for a shotgun certificate is detailed at paragraphs 11.7-11.15 of the same guide.The person signing the driving license application form and photo must be resident in the UK, know the applicant personally, not be a relative and not live at the same address as the applicant. This might include civil servant, bank or building society staff, local business person or shopkeeper, teacher, lawyer or engineer.

Immigrants: Detainees

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of safety and welfare in immigrant detention centres in the UK.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the suitability of conditions at immigration detention units at airports in the UK.

Lord Bates: The regulation of safety arrangements in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) is through the Detention Centre Rules 2001, the Operating Standards for IRCs, Detention Services Orders relating to security arrangements and the relevant sections of the contracts and service level agreements relating to security. Each IRC has a Home Office Immigration Enforcement Manager to monitor ongoing service provision.Independent scrutiny is an important part of assurance that our removal centres are safe, secure and humane. Assessments of IRCs and holding rooms are published by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) and in the annual reports of Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB).Home Office service improvement plans contribute to delivering continuing improvement of services in response to independent recommendations. Service improvement plans in response to HMCIP inspection reports have been publicly available on the HMCIP website for all reports published after 1 April 2015.On 9 February 2015 my Right Honourable Friend, the Home Secretary, announced an independent review of the welfare in detention of vulnerable persons by Stephen Shaw, which included consideration of the conditions at IRCs and airport holding rooms. The Government’s position on the review was set out in the Written Ministerial Statement laid on 14 January 2016.Current policy is clear that a number of groups of individuals, including pregnant women, the elderly, victims of torture and the mentally ill, should be detained only in very exceptional circumstances. The Government accepts Stephen Shaw’s recommendations that there should be a wider definition of those at risk, and will introduce a new “adult at risk” concept into decision-making on immigration detention, with a clear presumption that people who are at risk should not be detained, building on the existing legal framework.

Deportation

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what considerations are involved when deciding whether to return non-UK citizens to countries with a different legal system that might result in them being prosecuted for actions not regarded as criminal offences in the UK.

Lord Bates: The fact that another country’s laws criminalise acts which are not regarded as criminal offences in the UK would not alone justify an individual’s non-return.However, we would not enforce the removal of a non-UK citizen contrary to our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Welfare in Detention of Vulnerable Persons Review

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they received Stephen Shaw's report Review into the Welfare in Detention of Vulnerable Persons.

Lord Bates: Mr Shaw submitted his report on 24 September 2015. It was published on 14 January 2016.

Gambling

Lord Smith of Hindhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many arrests were made in 2015 in (1) licensed betting shops, (2) adult gaming centres, (3) casino premises, and (4) licensed bingo premises.

Lord Bates: The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of arrests made in licensed premises such as betting shops, adult gaming centres, casinos and bingo premises.The Home Office collect data on the number of arrests broken down by offence group and police force area, but these do not include the specific location.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

North Korea: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on 22 January about the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and what steps they are taking in response to the call by the UN Special Rapporteur to further all efforts to improve the human rights situation in that country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain actively aware of the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as described by the UN Special Rapporteur as well as in the Commission of Inquiry report. We exert international pressure through multilateral fora, such as the UN General Assembly and UN Security Council, and through our critical engagement with DPRK officials in Pyongyang and London. We also continue to stress the importance of free and unfettered access to the DPRK by UN officials to properly investigate the reports.In December 2015, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), urged senior DPRK diplomats to implement the recommendations made in the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

North Korea: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking in response to the recommendation by the UN Special Rapporteur about human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) that "in addition to continuing political pressure to exhort the DPRK to improve human rights, it is also now imperative to pursue criminal responsibility of the DPRK leadership".

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The Commission of Inquiry report highlighted the horrific human rights violations perpetrated by the regime. The British Government supports the principle that there must be no impunity for those accused of human rights violations, such as those documented in the Commission of Inquiry report. In the absence of progress in the DPRK, our focus must be on accountability – not least by ensuring that possible crimes against humanity are appropriately investigated.The UK has actively raised the issue of accountability on DPRK human rights violations, most recently at a meeting of the UN Security Council on DPRK in December 2015. In addition, as a current member of the UN Human Rights Council the UK is working closely with international partners, including the UN Special Rapporteur, to ensure DPRK – and accountability of the regime for its human rights violations – is a key feature at the March session of the Human Rights Council, including through ensuring a tough Resolution focused on the human rights situation.

North Korea: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the recommendations in the report of February 2014 by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are implemented.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK has strongly supported the work of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and we remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in the DPRK the report outlined. We have urged DPRK authorities to respond in detail to the contents of the report and to address the human rights violations that it documents. We also maintain pressure on the DPRK on human rights through multilateral fora, such as the UN General Assembly and UN Security Council, and through our critical engagement with DPRK officials in Pyongyang and London. We continue to stress the importance of free and unfettered access to the DPRK by UN officials to investigate the reports of widespread and systemic human rights violations as documented in the Commission of Inquiry report. In addition, through our bilateral programme fund we are able to support projects and initiatives that help to improve the lives of North Korean people.

North Korea: EU External Relations

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to implement the resolution of the European Parliament of 21 January regarding Europe’s relationship with North Korea.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have noted the European Parliament’s resolution of 21 January regarding Europe’s relationship with North Korea. The UK and EU work together to ensure international pressure on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is maintained, co-sponsoring the annual resolution on DPRK human rights at the UN General Assembly Third Committee. Following the nuclear test of 6 January, we are working closely with members of the UN Security Council, and EU Member States on a robust, and united, international response to the DPRK’s latest violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1718, 1874, 2087 and 2094. These negotiations are on-going and we expect any new resolution to contain further significant measures that send a clear signal that North Korea’s actions will not be tolerated.

Bangladesh: Human Rights

Baroness Burt of Solihull: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking in the light of the Resolution adopted by the European Parliament on 24 November 2015 (P8-TA(2015)0414) regarding human rights abuses and press freedom infringements in Bangladesh.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We closely follow human rights issues in Bangladesh, raising concerns when there are credible allegations.British Ministers have been unequivocal in their condemnation of the murders of five secular writers and a publisher in Bangladesh in 2015, and in calling for the Government of Bangladesh to protect those who face threats to their lives because of the views they have expressed. Project support from our Human Rights and Democracy Programme has provided safety training to bloggers in Bangladesh and a review of the Information and Communication Technology Act 2006, to bring it into line with international standards.The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Heiner Bielefeldt, visited Bangladesh from 31 August to 9 September. We will encourage the Bangladesh government to consider carefully all of the recommendations in his report when it is released at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2016.

EU Staff

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK citizens work for (1) the European Commission, and (2) the European Parliament.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The latest figures from October 2015 published by the European Commission state that there are 1000 British citizens working in the European Commission as Permanent Officials and Temporary Agents, and 142 as Contract Agents. There are 194 British citizens working in the European Parliament, excluding political staff.

Turkey: Kurds

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have discussed with the government of Turkey the welfare of Kurds and the damage to historic mosques and Armenian churches in the city of Diyarbakir in south-eastern Turkey.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The ongoing violence in the city of Diyarbakir and other predominantly Kurdish areas of south east Turkey is extremely concerning. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and our ambassador in Ankara have emphasised to the Turkish government the need to respect human rights, avoid civilian casualties and return to the peace process. We have not specifically discussed the damage to historic mosques and Armenian churches in the city of Diyarbakir.

Maldives: Terrorism

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the suggestion by the UN rapporteur on human rights and terrorism that the Maldives are "a hotbed of fundamentalism and terrorism".

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government’s Foreign Travel Advice states that there is a general threat from terrorism in the Maldives. We regularly review this advice, taking into account information from a range of sources. Over 90,000 British nationals visited the Maldives in 2015. It is in the UK’s interests, as well as those of the people of the Maldives, that the country is stable and secure.The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) visited the Maldives on 17 and 18 January. He met key members of the Maldives government, including President Yameen and discussed many issues including counter terrorism and radicalisation.

Maldives: Terrorism

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the numbers of Muslims who have left the Maldives to fight in the Near and Middle East.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Maldives government has said that at least 40 of its citizens have travelled to fight in Iraq and Syria. However, other reports suggest that up to 200 Maldivians have done so. We have requested the government to provide clarification and share with us their latest assessment.The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) discussed joint work to counter terrorism and tackle extremism with the Maldives government, including with President Yameen, during his visit on 17 and 18 January.

Turkey: Kurds

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the situation in Cizre, Turkey, and of recent military curfews in other towns in Turkey; and in particular whether they have gathered any evidence of war crimes.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Security operations, including military curfews, are continuing in Cizre and other towns in south-east Turkey against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its youth wing, the YPS (Civil Protection Units, formerly the YDG-H). One soldier and two police officers were killed on 31 January. It is also reported that around 30 people, some of them seriously injured, are sheltering in a basement in Cizre and in need of medical assistance. The Turkish authorities have said they have tried to provide access to medical care but that PKK attacks prevented their efforts. Our condolences are with the families of the soldiers and police who have been killed, and with civilians caught up in the violence. We are closely monitoring human rights issues in south-east Turkey. We have not gathered any evidence of war crimes.

Turkey: Human Rights

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) how many complaints against the government of Turkey have been upheld by the European Court of Human Rights during the last 10 years; and (2) how much in fines or awards of compensation is outstanding from Turkey.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As we do not hold the information requested, we have not made an assessment of the number of complaints against the Government of Turkey that have been upheld by the European Court of Human Rights during the last ten years, nor the amount of fines or awards of compensation outstanding from Turkey. Information regarding the number of applications made to and violations found by the European Court of Human Rights, as well as whether payments have been made, is available from the Council of Europe.

Turkey: Council of Europe

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether Turkey remains a suitable member of the Council of Europe.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: All Council of Europe members undertake to meet the standards to which they commit. The monitoring bodies of the Council of Europe assess Turkey against those standards and make recommendations for improvements, as they do for all member States. The UK strongly supports Turkey’s membership of the Council of Europe.

Uganda: Elections

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what practical support they are providing to civil society organisations and international agencies in Uganda to ensure that the elections in February are as free and fair as possible.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK is working with Ugandan civil society and international partners to improve democratic governance and support the electoral process ahead of the Ugandan elections on 18 February. The UK is the largest contributor to the multi-donor funded Democratic Governance Facility contributing £28million over a seven year period up to December 2016. This facility works with around 70 Ugandan partners through the provision of funding, technical advice and capacity development assistance. Amongst other initiatives, our funding is promoting the discussion and adoption of meaningful electoral reforms; improving citizen participation and engagement in the electoral process; and identifying and mitigating risks of violence related to the electoral process.

Uganda: Elections

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of violence in Uganda during the election period, and of its effect on business and trade, in the light of the fact that the UK is the largest foreign direct investor to that country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Free, fair and peaceful elections are important for business confidence in investing in any country. Ahead of the 2016 elections in Uganda, the UK, along with EU partners, has engaged in an open and frank dialogue with the government, political parties and other stakeholders on all aspects of the electoral process. During this dialogue we have urged all sides to refrain from activity or language that could lead to violence during the election period. Through our contribution to the multi-donor Democratic Governance Facility we are also supporting activity by the government and civil society to identify and mitigate risks of violence during the elections.During his visit to Uganda on 15 December, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), underlined that it is vital for Uganda’s future that the elections in 2016 are credible, inclusive and transparent, and that they are underpinned by a respect for human rights. Our travel advice for British nationals travelling to Uganda warns of the possibility of heightened tension and unrest during the election period. We will keep the situation under close review.

Iraq: Kurds

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq of the reported construction by Kurdish forces of a trench dividing Iraqi territory, and what discussions they have had with (1) the government of Iraq, (2) the Kurdistan Regional Government, (3) the United States, and (4) Turkey, about that development.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware that Iraqi Kurdish forces are in the process of constructing a trench at sections of the frontline with Daesh. The Kurdistan Regional government has stated that the trench, in addition to other fortifications, is required to deter Daesh suicide attacks, which frequently involve assaults using multiple vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices. We are monitoring the situation closely.The Government is committed to a united Iraq. We continue to encourage the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional government to resolve any disagreements over internal boundaries in a way that is transparent and in line with the provisions of the Iraqi constitution. We regularly discuss issues relating to the Iraqi Kurds with our Global Coalition partners, including the US and Turkey.

Kosovo: Unemployment

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they have participated in to reduce unemployment in Kosovo, in particular among young people; and what assessment they have made of whether the recently ratified EU Stabilisation and Association Agreement will have a significant impact on unemployment in that country, and if so, how.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are very concerned about the high level of unemployment in Kosovo and its impact, particularly on young people. We have been working with the Kosovo government to help support job creation, including through their 2016-2020 National Development Strategy, which will promote economic growth in Kosovo. The UK has recently funded a number of projects to tackle unemployment across all communities in Kosovo, including young people and women. These include creation of a Business Hub and Career Counselling Centre for young people, growing Information and Communications Technology companies, and providing career services to students in Vocational and Educational Training schools.We very much welcome the adoption and subsequent ratification of Kosovo’s EU Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA). This represents a significant step for Kosovo along the country’s EU path. The SAA will support the objectives of the National Development Strategy, and help promote the right environment for job creation. It will bring added EU scrutiny and assistance, reinforcing co-operation in areas such as the rule of law, Kosovo’s transition to a functioning market economy, and the gradual development of a free trade area between Kosovo and the EU. We are encouraging Kosovo’s leaders to use the SAA to improve the rule of law and to implement the political and economic reforms needed to improve the business environment and economic opportunity in Kosovo.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Business: Procurement

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent report by the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Sheffield which claims that supply chain audits fail to detect labour and environmental abuses.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has made no assessment of this report. There is no requirement for any UK business to audit its supply chain or what such an audit should include – this is a matter for individual businesses. UK businesses are, however, required to comply with all applicable laws, including those relating to labour and environmental matters. In addition, company law requires eligible businesses to report on social, environmental and human rights matters where this is necessary for an understanding of their business.

Company Accounts: Audit

Lord Smith of Clifton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of FTSE 100 companies whose annual accounts have been qualified by their auditors in the last 10 financial years.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: No such assessment has been made by the Department. However this information is part of the audit report that is filed by all relevant UK companies at Companies House. We are aware that a number of commercial information providers are able to use Companies House data to derive information of this nature. One example of such a provider is the Bureau Van Dijk Fame Database.

UK Membership of EU

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to engage with leaders of businesses of all sizes in every sector to ensure that they have information about the pros and cons of the UK remaining a full member of the EU.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: No such assessment has been made.The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in the UK - so we get a better deal for our country and secure our future. We are confident that the right agreement can be reached.

Department for International Development

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they are doing to relieve Syrians at risk of death by starvation and lack of medical supplies and care; and whether they will insist that all UN requests for immediate access to besieged civilians be accepted, for example to Yarmouk, Madaya.

Baroness Verma: The "Supporting Syria and the Region London 2016" Conference was held on 4 February last week, and more than US$11 billion was pledged to support people in Syria and the region affected by the conflict, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. Commitments made at the Conference will help to create 1.1 million jobs and provide education to an additional 1 million children. The UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total of over £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. By the end of June 2015, UK support inside Syria and in the surrounding region had, for example, delivered almost 20 million food rations that feed one person for a month; over 2.5 million medical consultations; and relief items for 4.6 million people. We have given ongoing support to the UN and international NGOs since the start of the conflict to deliver aid to hard to reach and besieged areas. However, in the past year, only 10% of all requests submitted by the UN to the regime to access besieged and hard-to-reach areas have been approved and delivered. That’s why it is vital we keep up the pressure on the regime to let aid convoys in and to provide sustained, permanent and safe humanitarian access, as provided for in UN Security Council Resolution 2258. Russia in particular, must match its words to its actions and do more to press the regime for full humanitarian access. We will continue to use our position in the UN Security Council to draw attention to the atrocities being carried out in Syria and press for robust action, while maintaining the pressure for a political settlement to bring the suffering of the Syrian people to an end. The UK is working to bring about a political settlement to the Syria crisis through the International Syria Support Group, with the UN Special Envoy for Syria, and with the Syrian Opposition. The desperate situation in besieged and hard to reach areas shows why we needed the international community to come together at the London Conference for Syria and the Region on 4 February to support immediate needs and identify longer-term solutions to address the needs of those affected by the crisis.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to air-dropping relief supplies to the besieged population of Deir Ezzor.

Baroness Verma: The "Supporting Syria and the Region London 2016)" Conference was held on 4 February last week, and more than US$11 billion was pledged to support people in Syria and the region affected by the conflict, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. Commitments made at the Conference will help to create 1.1 million jobs and provide education to an additional 1 million children. The UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total of over £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.  By the end of June 2015, UK support inside Syria and in the surrounding region had, for example, delivered almost 20 million food rations that feed one person for a month; over 2.5 million medical consultations; and relief items for 4.6 million people. We have provided ongoing support to the UN and international NGOs (INGOs) since the start of the conflict to deliver aid in hard to reach and besieged areas of Syria. When it comes to helping Syrians in besieged and hard-to-reach areas, we do not rule anything out but, right now, air drops are not a viable way of getting help to those in need. Use of air drops to deliver aid is high risk and should only be considered as a last resort when all other means have failed. Air drops require certain conditions to be met for successful delivery that are unlikely to be present on the ground in Syria. There is a requirement to identify clear drop zones, ensure safe access for the intended recipients, and to co-ordinate with authorities on the ground. Crucially, air drops do not provide the sustained access that humanitarian actors normally need to conduct needs assessments, oversee distribution, provide medical treatment and conduct evacuations. They are also limited in capability: for example, water cannot be dropped on the scale required and there is no way of ensuring items dropped will reach the most vulnerable. Instead, the UN, the Red Cross Movement and NGO partners are best placed to deliver aid to vulnerable people in besieged and hard to reach areas. We will not stop in our efforts, whether through hard work on a political solution that will deal with the root cause of the problem or through humanitarian efforts, which provide immediate, life-saving relief. This shocking situation underlines the vital work of aid agencies and shows how important it is that they have the assurance of knowing that they have the resources to keep going. It also underlines the importance of February’s Supporting Syria and the Region conference in London, which we will co-host.

Syria: International Assistance

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are pressing to be agreed at the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in February.

Baroness Verma: The "Supporting Syria and the Region London 2016)" Conference was held on 4 February last week, and more than US$11 billion was pledged to support people in Syria and the region affected by the conflict, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. Commitments made at the Conference will help to create 1.1 million jobs and provide education to an additional 1 million children. The UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total of over £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.

Syria: Refugees

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action the Department for International Development is taking to ensure that teachers, including refugee teachers, are paid appropriate wages and receive appropriate training and support in countries hosting Syrian refugees in the region.

Baroness Verma: The UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total of over £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.DFID is not currently financing public sector teachers’ salaries directly in Lebanon or Jordan. However, we helped launch and mobilise international support for the No Lost Generation Initiative (NLGI). As part of this support, the UK has allocated £115 million to provide protection, psychosocial support and education for children affected by the crisis in Syria and the region. As a result over 251,000 children have received formal and informal education inside Syria and in the region. We are working to ensure that each host government considers where and when they can employ and fairly compensate Syrian teachers under their national legal and policy frameworks for both education and jobs. In Lebanon, DFID is investing £21m in the World Bank managed Emergency Education System Stabilisation Programme and an additional £1.3m for the Research for Results: Lebanon Education System Improvement Programme. These programmes support the Government of Lebanon to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its education system including their public expenditure on teachers. At the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference we co-hosted in London, leaders came together to pledge more than $11 billion, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. On education, the UK and co-hosts worked with donors and other partners to secure increased funding for education under the UN-led appeals for 2016 and longer term, multi-year education funding commitments to ensure sustainability. Commitments made at the Conference will help to create 1.1 million jobs and provide education to an additional 1 million children.We continue to work with refugee hosting governments, in particular, to agree the policy commitments necessary to turn increased funding into delivery on the ground. This includes a regional policy dialogue on integrating refugee teachers into national education systems, where possible.

Syria: International Assistance

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what outcomes they aim to achieve at the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in February.

Baroness Verma: The "Supporting Syria and the Region London 2016)" Conference was held on 4 February last week, and more than US$11 billion was pledged to support people in Syria and the region affected by the conflict, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. Commitments made at the Conference will help to create 1.1 million jobs and provide education to an additional 1 million children. The UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total of over £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.

Bangladesh: Elections

Baroness Burt of Solihull: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking following the release of their report on the Bangladesh elections to address what the author, Hannah Roberts called a "high level of shortcomings" in the election process.

Baroness Verma: The UK wants to see credible, inclusive elections in Bangladesh with full participation, and remains committed to supporting initiatives or projects that will improve the prospects for those to happen. Following the report, DFID and the other donors scaled back our technical support to the Election Commission. This is consistent with the recommendations of the independent expert. We also sought to focus our support on the shortcomings identified in the report. When it became clear that the project providing support was not going to make further progress in those areas, we agreed with the other donors to suspend and ultimately close the project. Any further work on electoral processes in the future will be subject to Ministerial approval.

Central Africa: Armed Conflict

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the 2015 Global Hunger Index, in particular regarding the connection between conflict and hunger in the Central African Republic and Chad.

Baroness Verma: The Department for International Development regularly tracks a range of nutrition and hunger assessments to assess the situation in Africa, including the Global Hunger index, and we are concerned by the situation in Chad, where over 3 million people are food insecure, and in Central African Republic, where over 2.5 million people are food insecure. Food insecurity has been significantly exacerbated by conflict in Central African Republic and around Lake Chad, which has caused the destruction of harvests, forced displacement, and the blockage of trade routes. This year DFID has spent £7m on humanitarian assistance in Chad, with a focus on preventing and treating malnutrition and supporting displaced people, and £18m on humanitarian assistance in the Central African Republic, with a focus on providing essential healthcare, livelihoods assistance and emergency support to the most vulnerable.

Development Aid

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent reports by the OECD that the least developed countries received a smaller share of aid in 2014 than at any time in the last 10 years.

Baroness Verma: The least developed countries (LDCs) received a smaller share of total Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2014 than in eight of the previous ten years. It is important to note that the overall ODA figure includes contributions that cannot be attributed to a specific benefitting country (e.g. core contributions to multilateral organisations) even though LDCs will have benefitted.The UK played a leading role in securing a Development Assistance Committee commitment to reverse the declining trend of ODA to the poorest countries and for this commitment to be referenced in the June 2015 G7 Leaders’ Summit communique.The UK’s ODA is focused on countries in most need. The Department for International Development uses a range of criteria to inform how aid is allocated across countries, including current and projected future poverty levels, the country’s ability to self-finance its own development needs and the likely effectiveness of UK aid.

UN High-level Panel on Women's Economic Empowerment

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to support the UN Secretary-General’s first high-level panel on women’s economic empowerment.

Baroness Verma: The High Level Panel on women’s economic empowerment, convened by the UN Secretary General, will bring together leading politicians, expert economists, leaders from business and civil society to lead a step change in improving economic opportunities and choices for women and girls globally.The Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening, is a founding member of the Panel. In addition to our policy and technical inputs, DFID will also provide support for the Panel’s independent Secretariat to conduct a global consultation process, produce a research synthesis, and build momentum around tangible actions to unleash the full global potential of women’s economic power.

Department for Education

Teachers: Qualifications

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many schools in England are using unqualified staff to teach lessons.

Lord Nash: The information requested is not available.Ninety six per cent of teachers in all state funded schools have qualified teacher status.

Dedicated Schools Grant

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to increase the dedicated schools grant funding across all three blocks in order to meet the needs of all schools.

Lord Nash: At the Spending Review, we announced that we would protect the core schools budget in real terms through this Parliament. We are also protecting the £390 million of additional funding that was given to the 69 lowest funded local authorities in 2015-16 and the pupil premium at current per pupil rates. Between 2015-16 and 2016-17, the schools block will increase by an estimated £481 million, and the high needs block by £92.5 million.Investment through the early years block is also set to increase. Following the funding announced at the Summer Budget and the Spending Review, we will be investing over £1 billion per year of new funding by 2019-20 to fund our commitment to 30 hours of childcare for working parents of three and four year olds. The funding includes £300 million per year for a significant uplift to the rate paid for the two, three and four year old entitlements.We will come forward with our proposals for funding for 2017-18 and beyond in due course. We are committed to making funding fairer and intend to introduce national funding formulae for schools, high needs and early years, so that funding is transparently and fairly matched to need. We will be consulting formally on the formulae later this year.

Ministry of Justice

Magistrates

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are (1) the mean, and (2) the median, number of full days lay magistrates sit per year.

Lord Faulks: In the year for which the most recent data is available (2014/15), the mean number of full day sittings undertaken by magistrates was 19. The information necessary to provide the median number could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Magistrates

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many lay magistrates sit more than 50 full days per year.

Lord Faulks: In the year ending December 2015, 210 magistrates in England and Wales sat for more than 50 full days.

Magistrates

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the introduction in April 2015 of trial by single justice on the number of lay magistrates required.

Lord Faulks: Every year the Judiciary and HM Courts and Tribunals Service review how many magistrates are required in each local justice area; many factors influence this and it is not possible to isolate the impact of individual changes. The Single Justice Procedure applies only to cases involving adults charged with summary only, non-imprisonable offences, and aims to free-up time in magistrates' courtrooms to enable them to focus on more serious and contested cases. The government is committed to magistrates playing the strongest possible role in the delivery of justice.

Prisoners: Age

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the upper age limit for adult imprisonment in each EU member state.

Lord Faulks: The Government is aware that some EU member states have policies designed to divert, rather than prohibit, elderly offenders from receiving immediate custodial sentences. The Government remains of the view that sentencing is a matter for the courts, which – in deciding whether an offence merits a custodial term – take into account the particular circumstances of the case and of the offender; including factors such as age and health.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Discharges

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of regulars leaving the (1) army, (2) Royal Navy, and (3) Royal Air Force, in 2015.

Earl Howe: Trained Regular outflow in 2015 has fallen when compared with previous years, and across all Services. This is in line with Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 (SDSR10) manpower targets that mandated reductions in Trained Regular Strength across all Services. In order to meet the targets set out in SDSR10 and the Three-Month Exercise a redundancy programme was set up, enabling the Armed Forces to maintain the right balance of skills across the rank structures into the future. With the redundancy programme now complete, trained Regular outflow has reduced year on year as the Services seek to balance force levels against their 2020 targets. The levels of outflow are monitored very carefully by the individual Services and the Defence Board to ensure they do not impact on operational capability or the future sustainability of Armed Forces manning structures. The following table provides detailed information on trained Regular Forces outflow since 2012.   UK Trained Regular Forces Outflow Source: Defence Statistics (Tri-Service)   12 Months Ending 2012 31 December2013 31 December2014 31 December2015 30 NovemberAll Services21,45020,58016,30015,130  of which:Royal Navy/Royal Marines4,2703,2402,8302,650Army12,80014,00010,4409,740Royal Air Force4,3803,3503,0202,730   Notes: Figures show outflow from UK Trained Regular Forces. They do not include promotion from Ranks to Officers or flows between Services. Figures on Trained Regular Outflow for the 12 months up to 31 December 2015 are not yet available, and will be published on 11 February 2016.

Reserve Forces: Training

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what military training is given to reservists throughout the duration of their tenure as a reservist, and how that training compares to the military training given to those serving in the regular forces.

Earl Howe: The Military training given to Reservists throughout their Service as a Reservist is specific to each Service and this is detailed below: ROYAL NAVY On completion of initial (Phase 1) training, Maritime Reservists will undertake training specific to their Branch or Specialisation. This training has been developed through the Defence Systems Approach to Training using Operational Performance Statements which identify the duties and tasks required to be operationally capable. Reservists also undertake CMS/MATTS and (military) Command, Leadership and Management courses to prepare them for promotion and higher ranks. Specialisation training is usually tailored to the Reserve requirement for blended delivery at Unit training nights, weekends and two-week continuous packages, or if the Reservist has time, then they can attend the equivalent and often longer Regular Service courses. Reservists will also undertake On-Job training attending exercises or working in various Naval Service employment areas ashore or afloat. ARMY In the Army a Reservist, having completed basic military and trade training, which broadly covers the same content as the regular equivalent training - with recognised areas which are enhanced during Mission Specific Training (MST), will undertake continuation training to maintain and improve their military and trade skills. For most Reservists, training is augmented by periods of on-the-job experience where their trade skills are put to good use in delivering military outputs. Further training on professional or development courses maps exactly those courses offered to Regulars but are delivered to fit with the Reservist’s levels of availability and commitment, potentially using a blended learning mechanism with distanced learning, computer based learning and shorter residential training courses designed to fit in with the Reservist’s civilian employment. All courses are designed, delivered and accredited in the same way as Regular trade training and career development. Different training categories are utilised to differentiate between the depth to which Reserves and Regular training will be delivered. Integrated training will be conducted where appropriate and achievable. A specific example is the mandated course for qualification for promotion to Captain, with Reserve students attending the Junior Officers Tactical Awareness Course alongside Regular students. Training and education opportunities include developing trade skills, preparation for promotion and also physical and adventurous training.Many military courses are accredited to civilian bodies, bringing benefit to both the individual and employer. Where Reservists are deployed in support of operations, a period of MST will be undertaken to ensure individuals are suitably prepared to undertake that mission (this training is delivered to Reserve and Regular alike). Historical examples include deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, flood relief work, activity in support of the foot and mouth outbreak and support to the Olympics. Royal Air Force (RAF) An RAF Reservist will attend for training to maintain or improve both their military and trade skills. Normal attendance in any given year is around 35 days including a period of continuous training. For most, training is augmented by periods of on-the-job experience where their trade skills are put to good use in delivering military outputs. Further training on professional or development courses maps exactly those courses offered to Regulars but are delivered in a Reservist friendly way with distance learning, computer based learning and shorter residential training courses designed to fit in with the Reservist’s civilian employment. Again all courses are designed, delivered and accredited in the same way as Regular trade training.

Reserve Forces: Training

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what leave from employment reservists are entitled to in order to fulfil both compulsory and optional training programmes.

Earl Howe: Reservists can be unemployed, in education or in civilian employment as self-employed, casual, part or full time. The amount of leave Reservists receive from their employer in order to fulfil their training programmes is a matter between them and their employer. Through our employer engagement we provide employers with better information about the Reservists they employ, including their annual training commitment and notice of mobilisation. This helps employers to plan better for staff absences.In addition, the Employer Recognition Scheme was launched by the Prime Minister in July 2014 and this seeks to recognise employers through a tiered scheme (bronze, silver and gold) on a range of personnel objectives. More than 400 Silver awards have been presented since the scheme was launched. As an example, Reservists in the Public Sector are entitled to 15 days' special paid leave each year for training purposes.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Fleet Air Arm pilots of F35B Sea Lightnings are currently fully trained; how many are undergoing training; and how many will be fully qualified when (1) HMS Queen Elizabeth, and (2) HMS Prince of Wales, commissions.

Earl Howe: There is currently one Fleet Air Arm pilot fully trained on the F-35B Lighting II aircraft, with two undergoing training, and this is exactly where we expected to be at this stage of the programme. Over the next 3-4 years, as jointly agreed by the Royal Navy and the RAF, the F-35B programme will train sufficient RAF and Fleet Air Arm Lightning II pilots to deliver a carrier strike initial operating capability in 2020.The noble Lord will wish to be aware that 'F-35B Lightning II' is the designation jointly agreed by the First Sea Lord and the Chief of the Air Staff.

Aircraft Carriers

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their most up-to-date estimate of the in-service date of the first of the two aircraft carriers currently being constructed for the Royal Navy.

Earl Howe: The forecast in-service date of the first Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is 2018.

Type 45 Destroyers

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to commence the necessary remedial work on the propulsion systems of the fleet of Type 45 destroyers; what estimate they have made of how long that work will take; and what estimate they have made of the cost of the unit and the total cost of that remedial work.

Earl Howe: A number of measures to improve the reliability of the Type 45 Power and Propulsion systems have been identified. A programme was established in 2014 to implement these changes and continues to deliver positive results. In addition, and as announced in Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, we are planning to improve system resilience by adding upgraded diesel generators to provide further electrical generation capacity. Alternative technical options and a variety of delivery models are currently being explored with competing industrial partners.To reveal our current estimates of the cost and timetable for implementation of the Diesel Generator upgrade would be prejudicial to the commercial interests of the Department.

Royal Regiment of Scotland

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people are currently serving in The Royal Regiment of Scotland, broken down by battalion; and for each battalion what shortfall there is, if any.

Earl Howe: The information requested is provided in the following table.  Establishment and Strength of the Royal Regiment of Scotland as at 1 January 2016BattalionA2020 EstablishmentStrengthDifference (+/-)1 SCOTS501476-252 SCOTS501483-183 SCOTS505465-404 SCOTS606546-60Balaklava Company, 5 SCOTS9996-36 SCOTS *394258-1367 SCOTS *394264-130* Denotes Reserve BattalionFigures provided are for officers and soldiers. They are single service estimates only and they have not been produced by Defence Statistics.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

UK Membership of EU

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on farm incomes in England and Wales for (1) all farmers, and (2) hill farmers, of a British exit from the EU.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in the UK, so that we get a better deal for our country and secure our future. We are confident that the right agreement can be reached. Based on the latest set of published figures, approximately 130,000 beneficiaries receive support under EU Common Agricultural Policy schemes each year in England and Wales. The average payment is £18,500 or €21,000 a year per beneficiary.

Fisheries: Quotas

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many inspection and monitoring vessels regularly patrol British waters to ensure the enforcement of EU fishing quotas.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Royal Navy provides up to three vessels for the purposes of fisheries control, including the enforcement of EU fishing quotas in waters off England, and off-shore waters of Wales and Northern Ireland. Fisheries control in Welsh and Northern Irish inshore waters and all Scottish waters is the responsibility of the relevant Devolved Administrations.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Measure 2011

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans to they have to assess the effectiveness of the Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Measure 2011 after it comes into force in Wales on 1 January 2016.

Lord Bates: Responsibility for Building Regulations in Wales, including fire safety provisions, is a devolved matter and the Government has no plans to assess the effectiveness of this measure, which is a matter for the Welsh Government.

Housing: Prices

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the median price of (1) housing, and (2) newly built housing, in (a) England, and (b) each local authority in England.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Information on house prices is available from the Office for National Statistics. The ‘Housing Summary Measures Analysis’ published on 5 August provides median house prices for all dwellings by local authority area and is available (attached) at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-411659 under the Summary Measures data in Table one.The ONS ‘House Price Index’ includes average prices for new build and other dwellings for England and regions and is available (attached) at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/hpi/house-price-index/november-2015/stb.html 



House price index
(PDF Document, 349.96 KB)




Table 1
(Excel SpreadSheet, 977.5 KB)

Refuges: Northamptonshire

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the possible closure of the Eve Refuge in Northamptonshire due to funding cuts, and what steps they are taking to provide replacement support for women and children who are victims of domestic abuse and who are supported by that refuge.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Domestic Abuse is a devastating crime that shatters lives. That is why we are committed to ensuring that no victim is turned away from the support they need. To support this ambition, we have committed long term fund of £40 million over the next four years which will offer support to victims of domestic abuse. This increased funding, which triples our funding in the last spending period, complements Government's wider approach and support for violence against women and children's services, which will be set out in the forthcoming refresh of the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.It is for local areas to fully assess their local needs for domestic abuse services and to make decisions on the provision of safe accommodation and support for victims of domestic abuse. There is a range of accommodation and support available to victims of domestic abuse. Some will be accommodated in refuges, but dispersed housing or sanctuary schemes with support may be a preferred option for others. Some victims will pursue independent solutions with the appropriate support. We would urge all areas to recognise the importance of ensuring that victims have a safe place to go in a crisis.

Households

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new households they estimate will be created in 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, and 2019–20; of those in each year, how many will require public housing support; and of the total new households created in all four years that require public housing support, how many will comprise persons other than UK citizens.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The latest household projections for the United Kingdom estimate household growth from 2016 to 2017 at 261,000 households; from 2017 to 2018 at 260,000 households; from 2018 to 2019 at 259,000 households; and from 2019 to 2020 at 256,000 households. The household projections are (attached) published at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-household-projections. DCLG is responsible for producing the portion of these projections which cover England.DCLG does not publish estimates of the number of households that are expected to need public housing support in future; nor the proportion of these that are UK citizens. 



Live table Household projection 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 1.38 MB)

Non-domestic Rates

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent, and how, they have taken account of future rateable value revaluations and refunds of business rates following revaluations in their assessment of the spending levels of local authorities in the next four years.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The next business rates revaluation takes effect from 1 April 2017 and will result in changes to business rates income at the local authority level. The Government will consider adjustments to the rates retention scheme at revaluation to ensure, as far as possible, that local authority income from business rates retention is unaffected by the revaluation. My officials will be discussing this matter with local government over the coming months.

Council Tax

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assumptions the Autumn Spending Review and the local government finance settlement make about the revenue that will be raised by (1) allowing local authorities the flexibility to raise council tax by up to two per cent without a referendum, (2) the additional two per cent allowed for purposes of social care, and (3) the additional amount allowed for measures in relation to flooding, and by what percentage council taxes will rise on average as a result of those increases.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The provisional local government finance settlement was presented to Parliament in December 2015. Following consultation on the provisional settlement, the final settlement will be published shortly and will be subject to approval of the House of Commons. On the assumption that all authorities will take advantage of the full council tax flexibilities available to them announced in the Autumn Statement and the provisional settlement, council tax bills in England would rise by an average of 3.7 percent in 2016/17.It is important to note that this compares to an annual increase of 6.2 percent to council tax under the Labour administrations of 1997 to 2010. Average council tax is expected to be lower in real terms in 2019/20 than it was in 2010/11.The projections of revenue raised under these flexibilities assumes that each local authority’s council tax base will continue to grow at the average rate reported since 2013-14.

HM Treasury

Fringe Benefits: Tax Allowances

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether HMRC helplines are sufficiently resourced to deal with both employers and employees who may have queries regarding the new bespoke flat scale rate approval notices or the application of tax and national insurance contributions where a notice is not obtained.

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether HMRC officers will take into consideration the need for employers to familiarise themselves with the new approval notice system, particularly in the first year, and will apply a light touch approach to compliance.

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are sufficient resources in HMRC to deal with employers' applications for a flat scale rate approval notice before the end of 2015–16.

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when HMRC will have available the online application system for obtaining bespoke flat scale rate approval notices.

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what publicity they have put in place to notify employers of the change in legislation to require approval notices for any bespoke flat scale rate payments to be paid tax free after 6 April, including for those employers that wish to use industry agreed rates such as the Road Haulage Association rates.

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether all those employers that currently hold a P11D dispensation containing tax-free bespoke flat scale rate payments are aware that they must obtain an approval notice from HMRC in order that they may continue to pay such rates free of tax and national insurance contributions after 6 April.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) assessment is that there will be sufficient resources to deal with employers’ applications for bespoke scale rate approval notices which are made in good time ahead of the end of the 2015-16 tax year. HMRC also believes that there will be sufficient available resources to answer queries that employers may have regarding the application process of the application of tax and national insurance contributions (NICs) where a notice is not granted. The applications for bespoke scale rate approval notices will be made using an interactive online form which, once completed, the employer will print and post to HMRC for processing. This application form is now live and employers may find it by going to www.gov.uk and searching for ‘bespoke scale rates’. HMRC has published guidance on the GOV.UK website to help employers understand the new rules for reimbursing business expenses to employees, including bespoke scale rates and industry agreed scale rates. Messages about the change have also been included in HMRC’s regular ‘Employer Bulletin’ publication. HMRC are planning further communications to remind employers about the change over the coming weeks. HMRC always takes into account all relevant factors when dealing with employers who have made a mistake in complying with their PAYE and NICs obligations, and will help employers to move to the correct position where an error is discovered.

Non-governmental Organisations: Finance

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funds have been allocated to non-governmental organisations by each department for the last three years for which figures are available.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: HM Treasury do not hold the amount of funds that have been allocated to non-governmental organisations by departments. However, information is published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, table 2.1, on budgetary expenditure by economic category of spend, which is available on Gov.uk. This includes categories such as: Current and capital grants to persons and non-profit bodiesCurrent and capital grants abroadCapital grants and subsidies to private sector companiesCapital support and subsidies to public corporations Information is published for the last five outturn years.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Infrastructure UK has attached a BB+ non-investment grade rating to the Hinkley Point nuclear project in Somerset.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The European Commission’s Closing Decision of October 2014 records that, as a result of the protections for debt built into the financing agreements, Infrastructure UK believed the Hinkley Point project should be able to achieve a rating equivalent to BB+/Ba1 during the construction period. It was not possible to conclude the originally envisaged guarantee for £16 billion but the Chancellor announced in September 2015 an initial guarantee for debt of £2 billion which will be repaid in December 2020 by the shareholders, EDF and CGN. There is no obligation to issue further guarantees for the project thereafter.

Cabinet Office

Public Sector: Ethics

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response they have made to the report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life on ethical standards for providers of public services submitted to the Cabinet Office in June 2014.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Government welcomed the Committee's consideration of ethical procurement issues in its report "Ethical standards for public services".In our response of June 2015 we accepted a large number of the Committee's recommendations, including championing high ethical standards in our relationships with strategic suppliers and implementing ethical awareness.

British Nationals Abroad: Voting Rights

Lord Lexden: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to bring forward a Bill to enfranchise British citizens living overseas for more than 15 years.

Lord Bridges of Headley: As set out in its manifesto, the Government is committed to removing the 15 year time limit on the voting rights of British citizens living overseas. The Government believes that the current 15 year time limit is arbitrary and that if British citizens want to vote in the UK Parliamentary elections, then they should be able to do so. The Government intends to bring forward a Bill to make a permanent change on overseas voting rights as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Cabinet Office: Equality

Baroness Jenkin of Kennington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans the Cabinet Office has to improve gender balance on its board.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Cabinet Office Board is composed of Cabinet Office Ministers, senior officials and non-executives in line with the cross-government code of governance good practice and the Ministerial CodeThe department has recently completed a round of non-executive recruitment, and diversity was taken into account as part of that process. Catherine Brown, Paul Kirby and Mark Price joined Amy Stirling (who chairs the Audit and Risk Subcommittee), Ian Davis and Sir Ian Cheshire as the Board's non-executive members. Of the current non-executives, 33% are female. This will rise to 40% when Ian Davis leaves the Board later in the year. Gender balance and diversity will also be taken into account in any future non-executive recruitment roundsHer Majesty’s Government is also working to improve diversity at senior levels of the Civil Service. In September 2014 we published the Hay Group's 'Women in Whitehall: culture, leadership, talent' report which investigated the barriers faced by talented women developing their careers as Senior Civil Servants. Our response, the Talent Action Plan, introduced a series of new measures to ensure the Civil Service is among the most female-friendly employers in the country, and the most talented people succeed and reach the top positions, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or disability.

General Election 2015

Lord Rennard: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost to the public purse of conducting the 2015 General Election.

Lord Rennard: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the cost of additional security provided during the course of the 2015 General Election.

Lord Rennard: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of conducting the 2014 European Parliament elections.

Lord Rennard: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the cost of the deliveries of election material by the Royal Mail for all prospective parliamentary candidates across the UK in the 2015 General Election, and how the delivery charges were calculated.

Lord Rennard: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the cost of the delivery of poll cards by the Royal Mail for all prospective parliamentary candidates across the UK in the 2015 General Election.

Lord Rennard: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the cost of the deliveries of election material by the Royal Mail for all prospective parliamentary candidates across the UK in the 2014 European Parliamentary elections.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The total cost to the public purse of elections held nationally comprises two main elements: the costs incurred by Returning Officers in running the poll; and the cost of delivering election mailings produced by candidates. Returning Officers have submitted their expenses claims for running the 2015 UK Parliamentary election and the 2014 European Parliamentary election, and these are subject to scrutiny before being settled. This process is underway, and the final and exact cost of each election will not be known until all of the claims have been paidThe amount initially drawn down from the Consolidated Fund for the conduct of the 2015 UK Parliamentary election was £81.4M. While the final cost will differ from this figure, depending on the actual level of Returning Officers’ expenses, it provides an indication of the cost of running the poll. The total cost of delivering election mailings for the candidates who stood at the 2015 UK Parliamentary election was £41.7M.Expenditure on delivering poll cards is one of the costs incurred by Returning Officers in running the election. It is therefore subject to the aforementioned scrutiny of Returning Officers’ expenses claims, and is not yet knownThe amount initially drawn down from the Consolidated Fund for the conduct of the 2014 European Parliamentary election was £69.0M. While the final cost will differ from this figure, depending on the actual level of Returning Officers’ expenses, it provides an indication of the cost of running the poll. The total cost of delivering election mailings for the candidates and parties who stood at the 2014 European Parliamentary election was £40.6M.The Government is not aware of any particular additional security costs associated with the UK Parliamentary election in May 2015.

Department of Health

Cancer

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they received from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute during the set-up phase of Genomics England regarding the appropriateness in cases of cancer of using comparisons of tumour to normal whole genome sequencing at moderate sequence coverage, as opposed to focused actionable gene panel testing at deep sequence coverage; and what current technology is used by Genomics England.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The set up phase of the 100,00 Genomes Project was based on advice from Expert Working Groups which included experts from across the United Kingdom, including the Sanger Centre. The Working Group concluded that a more fundamental understanding of cancer would be delivered by whole genome sequencing compared to gene panels. This approach is part of the wider aim of the 100,000 Genomes Project to transform the National Health Service diagnostic pathway for patients and to build a dataset which will enable new scientific research. Adopting whole genome sequencing has already catalysed a fall in the costs which was also anticipated by the Expert Working Group.

Diseases

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of how many (1) definitive, and (2) actionable, diagnoses in rare diseases can be made on the existing rare disease sequencing budget of Genomic England in 2016; whether Genomic England used (a) whole genome sequencing, (b) whole exome sequencing, or (c) medical exome sequencing; and if those estimates are not available, why not.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The 100,000 Genomes Project is not intended to provide definitive or actionable findings from whole genome sequencing. This is the responsibility of the National Health Service Genomic Medicine Centres based on interpretation reports provided by Genomics England. To date approximately 20 reports have been issued based on the initial interpretation of the pilot phase genome data. It is not possible to estimate the comparison between whole genome and exome methods for these patients. That is because the eligibility criteria for patients to be invited to participate in the 100,000 Genomes Project require that they remain undiagnosed after standard NHS diagnostic tests.

Electronic Surveillance

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment the Department of Health has made of recommendation YY.e of the report of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, Privacy and Security: A modern and transparent legal framework, published in March 2015.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The 2015 Report by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee: Privacy and Security: A modern and transparent legal framework makes recommendations about consolidating the legal powers of the three United Kingdom intelligence and security agencies. The Department was asked to comment on the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill presented to Parliament in November 2015 and, at that time, did not consider that this would create any new powers that would require or permit the disclosure of confidential personal information by health and care bodies (on the basis that this is consolidating security agencies’ existing powers).

Health Services: Older People

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 19 January (HL4840), why the independent review of the contract between Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group and UnitingCare Partnership will only focus on the commissioner perspective.

Lord Prior of Brampton: We are advised that NHS England’s review of the contract between Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group and UnitingCare Partnership will focus on the commissioner perspective. Monitor, as the sector regulator for health services in England, will also be conducting a review.However, Monitor’s review will assess the contract from the perspective of the providers involved and consider how relevant issues might be mitigated in the future. Monitor and NHS England will share their respective findings with each other.

NHS: Negligence

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what analysis they have made of the potential use of alternative dispute resolution schemes in lieu of current clinical litigation procedures.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Alternative dispute resolution takes various forms. The NHS Litigation Authority (NHS LA) has looked at a number of these and recently piloted a mediation programme for clinical negligence cases. As analysed the results have been very positive (81% of mediations in the pilot resulted in settlements) and as a result, NHS LA will be developing a formal mediation scheme.

Flour: Folic Acid

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support adding folic acid to flour.

Lord Prior of Brampton: We want children to have the best possible start in life and ensuring optimal maternal health is a key part of this. This is why we are considering all aspects of preconception health as a priority, including the uptake of folic acid.

Cancer

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking through early diagnosis and screening programmes to reduce the risk of cancer.

Lord Prior of Brampton: On the advice of the UK National Screening Committee, breast cancer screening, bowel cancer screening and cervical cancer screening are offered to eligible people to help them reduce their risk of dying from cancer. Cervical screening is not a test for cancer but for abnormalities which, if left undetected and untreated, may develop into cancer. The NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England offers screening to women aged 25 to 49 every three years, and women aged 50 to 64 every five years. Experts estimate the programme saves up to 5,000 lives per year in the United Kingdom. The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites women aged 50 to 70 for breast screening every three years. Women over 70 can request free three yearly screening. The 2012 UK independent review of breast cancer screening (Marmot review) estimated that inviting women between the ages of 50 to 70 reduces mortality from breast cancer in the invited population invited by 20% and saves an estimated 1,300 lives a year in the UK. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme offers screening using a self-sampling kit, the guaiac Faecal Occult Blood test (FOB), every two years to men and women aged 60 to 74.The UK National Screening Committee has recommended that the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) be used as the primary test for bowel cancer instead of the currently used FOB test. Ministers are now considering the UK NSC’s recommendation. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is currently rolling out Bowel Scope Screening (BSS), an additional one off examination which will play a significant role in preventing bowel cancer. Both men and women are being invited for BSS around the time of their 55th birthday with the aim of detecting and removing any adenomas (polyps) at an early stage to prevent bowel cancer from developing. Evidence shows that men and women aged 55-64 attending a one-off bowel scope screening test for bowel cancer could reduce their individual mortality from the disease by 43% (31% on a whole population basis) and reduce their individual incidence of bowel cancer by 33% (23% on a whole population basis).

Sugar: Taxation

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they were consulted about the NHS sugar tax, to be introduced in 2020; and if so, when and what view they gave.

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Chief Executive of NHS England's plan to introduce a sugar tax in the NHS in 2020.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Urgent action is needed to tackle obesity, particularly in children, which is why we will shortly be setting out a comprehensive new strategy to tackle the problem. It will set out what more can be done by all sides. We are interested to see the results of the consultation on these proposals.

NHS: Innovation

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they had sight of the views expressed by the Chief Executive of NHS England at Davos in January before he made them.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department was made aware of what would be covered in the talk given by the Chief Executive of NHS England at Davos in January.

Hepatitis

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 8 July 2015 (HL783), whether all partners developing the national improvement framework for hepatitis C will need to sign off that framework before it is published, and what agencies have already approved that framework.

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their intention to reduce premature mortality and health inequalities, as set out in Living Well for Longer: One year on, published in March 2015, will be reflected in the contents of a national improvement framework for hepatitis C services.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Public Health England and NHS England are currently working to assess the focus of this work and no date for publication has yet been set.